Growing up, I didn't see a lot of media including people with disabilities. I spent a lot of my Friday nights in high school diving into the captivating worlds of my favorite TV shows, movies, and YouTube channels. However, looking back on this, it strikes me how absent representation of people with disabilities was in those narratives. Amidst the laughter, drama, and love stories, there was a glaring void – a void where I never found myself reflected as a friend, a family member, main character, or daring love interest.

12/18/2023 12:00:00 AM

Congenital Muscular Dystrophy (CMD) affected individuals Kelly Berger and Avery Roberts are making their voices heard. Together they hope to tackle misconceptions surrounding disability and give a loud voice to the oft-forgotten rare disease community. CMD is a rare genetic disorder which causes the muscles to break down faster than they can repair or grow, which leaves Berger and Roberts to rely on wheelchairs as their main source of mobility and independence.

9/12/2023 12:00:00 AM

We are all people, but why limit people because of disability? Isn't that inequality? I get so tired of reasons that are labeled justifiable. The disabled community has the right to go into any store or public place, and we shouldn't need two working legs to get inside.

4/13/2021 12:00:00 AM

Did you know that March is Women's History Month? That's right, this month (and every month, really) we need to celebrate powerful women and shout their accomplishments from the rooftops! I'd love to share some of my favorite female disability advocates with you in this blog post.

3/30/2021 12:00:00 AM

Every summer, hundreds of people gather at a local park for AccessCNY's annual fundraiser, Anything That Rolls. This event brings together manual and power wheelchair users, roller derby teams, bike riders, strollers, scooters, and anything else that rolls. The three-mile paved course along the lake offers participants the opportunity to travel as far as they please, with water and check-in points along the way.

9/3/2019 12:00:00 AM

Though many CRT users qualify for government assistance, it can still be extremely difficult for many to secure funding for this vital equipment. Currently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are looking to cut funding to "CRT accessories" for CRT manual wheelchairs. Though referred to as "accessories," these pieces and parts should be referred to as "critical components."

8/13/2019 12:00:00 AM

NCART recently conducted a survey to measure the impact of continued inappropriate reimbursement cuts to components (aka accessories) used with Complex Rehab manual wheelchairs. Of the supplier locations surveyed, an alarming 87% have significantly reduced providing components of Complex Rehab manual wheelchairs or will be forced to do so in the next 90 days.

9/11/2018 12:00:00 AM

As a Paralympian, I have had the opportunity to travel the world, ski the most beautiful mountains, and connect with some of the most compassionate and brilliant minds on the planet. The journey from Paralympic champion to ADA advocate, however, was not natural for me. It was easy to be a well-liked Paralympian in a ski town, but advocating for local ADA issues was an entirely different matter.

3/13/2018 12:00:00 AM

Can anyone tell your story better than you? Can another person passionately speak up against changes that negatively impact your ability to maintain independence and quality of life the way that you can?

9/12/2017 12:00:00 AM

Your help is needed to get Congress to stop major cuts in the reimbursement for complex rehab technology (CRT) items. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) tells beneficiaries that cuts in reimbursement are a good thing. After all, it reduces out-of-pocket expenses, and everybody wants that, right? Not necessarily. Here's why.

11/6/2016 12:00:00 AM